Cilantro Asiago Pesto

This pesto is one of my favorites, if there could be one! It has such a bright and fresh flavor from the cilantro along with a richness from the Asiago cheese. It is great in salads, super tasty in sandwiches, wonderful on pasta, phenomenal in quesadillas and just an all around great dip!

I have had a real craving for pesto lately and remembered that I had a lot of cilantro that needed to be used up. Plus, I like to have a pesto on hand incase we have visitors, like today. Our friend Beto is coming to visit with wedding cake samples in hand. Beto’s girlfriend is making us a Spanish almond wedding cake with either a rosemary or plain mascarpone frosting, I’m so excited!

I love cilantro for many reasons, one of course, I LOVE the flavor! In my opinion, it transforms an ok dish into an extraordinary dish. It is one of those herbs people seem to either love or hate. Robby’s mom was one that did NOT like it at all! I haven’t met anyone who said “it’s ok!” Another reason why I love it, is that it is so extremely good for you. Did you know that toxins and heavy metals bind to the cilantro and it pulls it out of the body! Check out this story about how it can purify water.

Recipe: Approx. 3 Cups

3 Cups Cilantro Leaves

1 Cup Asiago Cheese

1 Cup Raw Walnuts

1/2 Cup + 2 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice – fresh squeezed

2 Cloves Garlic

1/4 to 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt – or to taste

Half batch: Approx.1 1/2 Cups

1 1/2 Cups Cilantro Leaves

1/2 Cup Asiago Cheese

1/2 Cup Raw Walnuts

1/4 Cup+ 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tablespoons Lemon Juice – fresh squeezed

1 Cloves Garlic

1/8 – 1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt – or to taste

Instructions:

Finely shred cheese and pick leaves off the cilantro stems, measure and add to a food processor or blender along with walnuts, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and salt.

Puree until desired texture.

Health benefits:

Cilantro is an extreme anti-oxidant immune-booster thathelps detoxify the body by loosening them from the tissue, binding to and pulling out toxins and heavy metals. It helps promote a healthy liver function and is an overall digestive aid. It is a powerful anti-inflammatory that may help symptoms of arthritis and joint pain. Cilantro can lower bad cholesterol level and increase the good cholesterol level. It also helps with insulin secretion and lowers blood sugar. It is rich in essential oils, vitamins and is one of the richest herbal sources for vitamin K and dietary fiber. It is also an excellent source of omega-3, omega-6 fatty acids and calcium.